


Dreams of You

by Angelleap77



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mild Blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-06-11 22:42:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15326010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelleap77/pseuds/Angelleap77
Summary: Synopsis: Creek is plauged by dreams of a mysterious blue skinned, royal blue haired troll. What will happen when they finally meet face to face?





	1. Dreams of You

Disclaimer: I don't own Trolls or its characters. I also don't own the rights to any songs I may or may not use in my stories. All copyrights belong to whoever made them (which isn't me).  
pairings: Branch/Creek, Guy Diamond/Poppy (later)  
Synopsis: Creek is plauged by dreams of a mysterious blue skinned, royal blue haired troll. What will happen when they finally meet face to face?  
Notes: The movie never happened. Branch is part of a 2nd colony that never met Poppy's colony till later. The Bergens never became their allies either. Both colonies are under constant threat of being eaten. Also, Branch has his colors from the start, but keeps himself hidden from everyone. (funny reason as to why on that and will be explained later)

Dreams of you

Flashes of color, flashes of light and sound, that's mostly what the dreams consisted of before now. Tonight was no different for Creek, being tortured once more by dreams he couldn't completely understand. Images of teal blue skin, royal blue eyes, and royal blue almost purple hair came through at random times. The eyes, they were breathtaking to behold, or at least that's what Creek thought.  
He woke again, sweating profusely in his bed, holding at his head and wondering why this dream had given him such details unlike all those before it. It was almost like fate was telling him something, giving him answers to his unspoken questions. His heart ached more and more each day because of these dreams, a sure sign to any spiritual troll that this was a message to not take lightly.  
Getting out of bed and getting dressed for the day came next in his sleep clouded brain. Running a comb through his blue and green hair calmed his nerves enough to finish waking him up and prepping him for the day. One look outside confirmed that today's weather was as stormy and turbulent as his brain at that moment, how very fitting.  
An hour later, yoga done, meditation done, and a light breakfast consumed, and Creek left his pod into the light misty rain heading for Poppy's pod to see what her plans were for the day, and also to inform her of the new development of his dreams.  
She greeted him at her pod door, standing just inside to avoid being caught in the rain. "Morning Creek, no offense but you look like something is on your mind. Want to talk about it? Maybe me or the others in the Snack Pack can help you make some sense of it. They all came over early. The storm woke them up."  
"Ahh, good morning Poppy. Yes, some company to help me figure things out would be most useful. I have some interesting developments on the dream too. Maybe of you can help me figure it out."  
Entering Poppy's pod, they make their way over to the couch which was already occupied with DJ Suki, Guy Diamond, Smidge, Fuzzburt, Satin and Chenille, Cooper, and Biggie. Creek sits in one of the arm chairs close to the couch and starts telling them the new details of the dream. "It really has me puzzled. I have never seen anyone in our colony that even looks like him. The idea that it's a male troll that is plaguing my dreams is the least of my concerns, but I really need to find out who he is and where he is."  
The rest of the snack pack write down the details given to them by Creek. DJ tries sketching out a possible profile picture and shows it to Creek who just shakes his head at it. "I wish I could be honest with you DJ, but I have no idea if thats even close to what he looks like. All I saw was his eyes, his hair, and his skin color. I really am a lost cause aren't I?"  
Guy Diamond just shakes his head at Creek. "Nahh Creek, you just are being shown details of your possible soul mate. We all know there are other troll colonies out there too. Its highly likely that this troll you see in your dreams is in one of the other colonies. Just be patient and I'm sure things will work out fine."  
Despite the comforting words, Creek's mind was in a whirlwind, and he was praying deep down that he would get some much needed answers very soon.

\---  
Hope you like it so far. Kudo's and comments welcome. :) My first attempt at a Trolls fanfiction and go figure.. its gotta be a BREEK FIC!!! lol


	2. Branch's dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch receives a dream of his own of Creek and seeks advice on a course of action.

Shimmers of color lit up his dreams. This was unlike anything that had happened in previous dreams for him. Usually it was just smells or sounds, but having the added images gave him a sense of warning, like he was being given a message that he couldn't understand. He wasn't exactly the spiritual type, but he knew from experience being around them that dreams like this could be either warnings or premonitions of something to come.

He gets out of bed and looks around his home, a bunker that was close to half a mile underground but contained everything he would need for survival. His colony had been under constant attack from the Bergens, the latest attack wiping out half their numbers. They used to have a couple thousand in this colony, but now with it being so many less, there was less chance of their survival as the days went by. The Bergens seemed to know exactly when they were most active and chose those times to attack, dwindling their numbers more and more with each attack. He quickly gets dressed and heads topside to look around, noticing the new footprints of the Bergens that had passed dangerously close to his bunker door. Hearing the screams of his colony, he knew he had to stay hidden or he would be caught as well.

He waits just at the edge of town, noticing as another hundred or more of his colony was taken away, the Bergen Chef smiling gleefully at her newest acquisitions. They make their way back towards Bergen Town, leaving the rest of the troll village in shambles. Branch knew he had to do something soon or the rest of his colony would be eaten before the end of the week. Running out of his hiding place, he runs towards a terrified spiritual leader.

"Parch!! Are you okay? That was crazy for them to attack so early in the day. I think we're better off getting out of here and heading for the other villages."

"Ahh, Branch, you always did warn us about the attacks, but as always our leaders never wanted to listen to you. After this attack, I have a feeling they will. I will go to them and have a talk with them about moving to another colony. While you are here though, is there any new developments on your dreams?"

"Actually, there is Parch. This time I saw images, blue and green hair, gray blue eyes, purple skin. I could be wrong, but the features seemed masculine to me, which while I'm not totally thrilled by it, I'm not put off by it either. If anything, I seem quite thrilled at the idea that these could be the start of me knowing who my soul mate is."

"Here's a thought to that Branch. You aren't a spiritual troll like us, but you do know how to enter dreamscapes. Maybe it's an idea to enter one and seek this other troll out through your dreams. If he has any kind of spiritual ability, he might be able to sense that you're seeking him and respond to it, allowing him to enter the dreamscape with you. Keep in mind though, the dreamscape can seem very real, even whatever you feel during it can affect you in the waking world. Keep yourself relaxed while in there and try to remember that it's all in your head. Keep me informed on any progress. In the meantime, I am going to go speak to our leaders about moving our colony, of whats left of it, and maybe merging it with the others. If you can reach that other troll, ask him where his colony is. If they are close enough, we can merge our colony with his. I'll keep you informed and good luck on your dream quest." He walks away towards the leaders pod to talk to them about moving the colony.

Branch just nods slightly, making sure the cloak he wore kept him as concealed as possible. Last time he had it off, he nearly got jumped by half the colony. While flattering to have so much attention, it also made him very nervous to be around large groups of people out of fear of it happening again. Honestly, he had no clue what they found so appealing about him, but it must have something to do with his colors or something. He walks around town, seeing the remaining trolls trying to gather together what remained of their belongings, the ones that weren't destroyed anyways. He figured it would be safer to enter the dreamscape later that evening, as most trolls tended to go to sleep shortly after sundown. It was going to be a long day, a day of figuring out what he would ask his soul-mate should he be able to reach him through his dreams. What if they didn't like each other? What if they were just too different to even get along? The thoughts were too depressing to even consider. He went back towards his bunker after a while and prayed that once he entered the dreamscape, that all went well.


	3. Crazy Prepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch prepares himself for the trials of the dreamscape. Parch keeps tabs on his progress for whatever reasons. Is it good or bad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Events in this story will NOT follow the movie events. His parents died early in his life but his grandmother did not die till more recently to this current time.

Branch knew he had to be ready for this. He was always called crazy for the things he did and you know... yes he was. CRAZY PREPARED! He always had enough supplies on hand to last him for years no matter what it was. He hoarded herbs and other things down in his bunker in which he made medicines for not just his own colony but for other colonies in the local area, local for him meaning within 10 miles of where he was. He had been making medicines and supplying the other colonies for the better part of 6 years now, even going so far as to personally deliver them in the middle of the night to some of the colonies so they weren't aware of who was sending them.

Thinking back to the last time he attempted a dreamscape, he recalled being very hungry for sweets following it plus an overwhelming headache that lasted for at least 2 days. He had figured out since that time what herbs were best for headaches and had made himself some herbal tea's which would relieve the headache gained from the dreamscape. He also made sure to keep a drawing tablet with him. The last time he was in a dreamscape, he had drawn a picture of what he had seen, waking up to find out that the same picture had been drawn in the waking world and was firmly in his grasp. 

He had become quite a proficient artist over the years, something his grandmother had always been proud of. It had been one of her many talents and one she took great pride in teaching him. To honor her memory he had made a portrait of her and hung it on the wall, a memorial of sorts due to losing her to the Bergens a year prior. It was her who had taught him to be prepared for anything and sometimes being overly prepared was better than just having small amounts of things. It was her who said to make sure to have enough supplies to last at least a month or longer, just in case something happened and he couldn't replenish the stock within that time. It was this that caused him to take it to the extreme, making sure to have enough stock to last him and at least 50 other trolls for at least a couple years. He didn't mention it to anyone, not even to Parch, but every so often he would get visions of the impending attacks, knowing when they would occur, or at the very least, within a certain time frame. It was sometimes tough to judge exact time. He told nobody about these talents because it was something even Parch was unable to do, even with him being a spiritual leader for their colony. Seeing aura's and picking up emotions from people also came naturally to Branch, but he kept it all to himself, just in case someone was up to no good. The less they knew of his abilities, the better for everyone else and for Branch. Keeping it a secret ensured that Branch could protect those around him without the wrong-doer being any wiser to the situation until it was too late for them to change their plans.

Parch came down soon after to check on Branch and noticed all the preparations going on. "You really are crazy, Branch. Maybe that's a good thing though. Hard to say with you. I spoke to the leaders though and they finally agree that it is time to move whats left of the colony and merge it with another. If you can contact your soul mate, see if you can locate where he is and if close enough, we might be able to join them."

Branch chuckles a moment. "Crazy? Ya, crazy prepared. As for what the leaders said, thats good to know. We need to get everyone thats left packed up as quickly as possible. Last thing we need is to lose more of our colony, even though I fear that we still will before we can make our escape from here. I'll let ya know later what I find out in the dreamscape. I'm just making sure to have close to me what I need for during and after I do this. It'll likely be a couple hours at minimum though and thats only provided I can reach him. My calls to him might go unanswered. We'll have to see."

Parch just nods a moment and heads out, unaware of Branch looking him over and seeing the dark black waves of his aura pulsing around him, meaning he was up to no good. Branch writes down quickly what he had seen so as to inform the leaders later of Parch's ill intentions. In the meantime, Branch grabs a couple candles, a small rug, his sketch book, and some chocolate and sets them all near the middle of his bunker living room. He lights the candles and sits down Indian style on the rug, closes his eyes, evens out his breathing, and seeks out the dreamscape, praying that his soulmate would hear him and respond.

Back in the other colony where Creek lived, he was deep in his meditation when he felt the tugging on his heart and mind. Even for a spiritual troll, dreamscapes were hard to do, sometimes impossible. Entering one however was simple and sometimes creepy with how quickly they could be yanked into one. This one had a gentle but firm pull to it, like he was being called from a distance. The energy of the dreamscape was calming, soothing, and tender. His mind latches on to the dreamscape with ease and allows himself to be pulled in, wondering who was seeking him out and why. He opens his eyes in the dreamscape, looking around at a massive field of flowers and butterflies. Everything was calm and peaceful. He looks around for a moment then comes to a stop when his eyes lock with a new but familiar set of royal blue eyes. "You.... "

\---  
oops.. did I do a cliffhanger? my bad lmao :) enjoy the new chapter :D


	4. The dreamscape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Creek and Branch meet in the dreamscape and discuss plans for the 2 colonies to merge. Also, feelings between the two spark to life.

Creek was completely stunned. If he had known it was his soulmate that had called him here, he would have prepared himself a little more. "You... I can't believe you called me here. Kinda nice though, to know my soulmate has some spiritual ability like myself." He was completely captivated by Branch's eyes, the only part he could really see since Branch had his cloak on even in the dreamscape. "Would be nice to know what you look like under that though, if you don't mind. You have me at a slight disadvantage here."

Branch just chuckles slightly and lets his eyes admire the handsome purple troll in front of him a few moments. He certainly was liking what he was seeing, despite the idea that it was another male he was checking out with obvious enjoyment. "I keep myself concealed for a reason. Granted this is a dreamscape and only you and I would see what happens here, but in the waking world, I can't risk being seen without it. I kinda got jumped last time I showed myself... by half my colony.. guys and girls alike."

Creek snorts and then winds up on the ground rolling laughing. "Oh lord have mercy." He laughs for a few more moments before sitting up and looking Branch in the eyes again. "Hearing that, I definitely need to see what you look like. You must be quite the handsome troll to get that kind of attention."

Branch blushes slightly, the top edge of the blush visible just above the face concealment. "So others say. I guess you'll see me eventually anyways so I guess theres no harm in this." He turns around and removes the face concealment, throws back the hood, and removes the cloak entirely before turning to face Creek again, his royal blue hair tossing slightly as he turns. He blushes bright red hearing a low purring sound coming from Creek. "Okay now, easy does it. This is only a dreamscape after all, not exactly real... " He gets silenced a moment later when he feels warm lips against his own, putting an end to whatever else he might have been about to say. They pull apart a few moments later, both of them taken by surprise at what they had just done.

"I am... so sorry. I couldn't help myself, seeing how handsome you are. I guess you get that reaction all the time though huh?" Creek looks away slightly ashamed of his brash actions, knowing full well that sudden actions like that could easily chase the other male away.

"I do actually, yes. I won't say I was overly surprised, but more of a pleasant surprise. Others aren't quite that bold and usually just tend to flirt and run. Others, well, I have to be the one running away from them. Before we get too into things between us though, a name would be nice to attach to your handsome face." Branch blushes even more after saying that, since usually he wasn't so forward about complimenting people on their looks.

Creek just smiles slightly at the compliment. "My name is Creek. I'm actually the spiritual guru of my colony. I'm not a leader yet, but I'm almost there. The one over me is named River and he's extremely wise and spiritually powerful. Not quite sure he could measure up to your obvious talent though. What about you though? Got a name my handsome soulmate?"

Branch smiles widely at that term, a smile that made Creek go slightly weak in the knees. "It's Branch. I do have spiritual ability but I tend to avoid telling anyone in my colony, even our spiritual leader Parch. If he knew the abilities I had, he would likely try to do me harm. He's up to no good, I know he is. I got a look at him just before entering the dreamscape and his aura was black. BLACK, Creek... that's not a good thing at all. He spoke with our leaders about having our colony merge with another and was hoping to merge with yours. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling things are going to turn bad very quickly. His emotions are erratic, dark, overpowering.. its hard to describe just how oppressive it is. I can't prove anything but I have a bad feeling that he is responsible for why our colony has been under so many Bergen attacks lately. I fear he'll do the same to yours."

Creek looked taken back by all this for a moment. "A black aura is definitely a bad thing, but why would he sell out your entire colony? Rebelling against the leaders perhaps? Or maybe he just hates everyone so much he wants all of you dead? Or maybe, just maybe, it's a deal he made to stay alive.. for his own selfish reasons. Sell out his colony so he lives and to continue living, sell out any other colonies in the area. It's all speculation but its highly possible. We live in the East River valley. Not sure where you are in relation to it but if you're close enough, even if you have to come alone, I want you with me Branch. Our own colony is preparing to move as well, we have been for some time due to the constant attacks of other colonies in our general area. We're within a few miles of one that's been getting hit almost every day. It's unsettling to think that we could be next. Our Princess Poppy and her father King Peppy want us to move as soon as possible. If you can get your colony to us before a week is up, then let me know somehow and we'll wait for you."

"It's our colony that's been getting attacked daily. We're in the East River Trench.. less than 5 miles from your colony. We could easily travel that distance in under a day provided we don't run into any problems. I have actually traveled to your colony before to deliver medical supplies. Had I known it was your colony, I would have tried to see you in person well before now. I can hardly wait for the day when I can touch you for real, not just in my dreams, to be able to hold you close, feel your warmth and your arms around me. We can always hope it's soon when it happens. I know, I sound like a lovestruck idiot right now, but you are just... so handsome.. and knowing you and I are soulmates just makes the current distance all that much harder to bare."

Creek reaches a hand over and curls it around the cheek of Branch. "Soon love.. soon. Just make sure to prepare yourself well for a long trip. If all goes according to plan, Poppy and her father will want us all moving to a new location shortly after your colonies arrival with us, if any of your people are left to join us that is." He glances up a moment seeing the edges of the dreamscape fading. "The connection here is fading. We'll speak again soon. Till next we meet Branch, stay safe." He disappears from the dreamscape a moment later before Branch pulls himself free of it as well. 

Branch quickly grabs his sketchpad and gets to drawing what Creek looked like on it and shades in the colors as well before running a hand down the side of the face on the picture. "Soon Creek, soon I'll be there with you, even if I have to come alone. Wait for me."

\---  
Wooooo... ooooooo love is in the air... la la la lala lol


	5. Pre-planning and momentary meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch decides to travel to Creek's colony to map out a route for easy travel for him and any of his colony that would be with him. The spiritual leader Parch decides to travel with him in case of trouble. What are his motives for this? What will happen while they are away? Trouble is a-foot.

Creek was totally ecstatic after having met Branch in the dreamscape. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be connected to such an intelligent and handsome male. The spiritual abilities Branch harbored was just another perk that Creek was happy about. He finally had some common ground with someone and they could likely learn a few things from each other. He cleans up and skips out of his pod and dances his way down the road, not bothering to hide his absolute happiness at what had just happened. He grabbed DJ in passing and spun her around in a quick little dance, completely taking her off guard before a picture got pushed into her face drawn by Creek. He had done a quick sketch of Branch after leaving the dreamscape and wanted to show it off. 

DJ takes a look at the picture, totally stunned by Creek's mood, then lets out a soft purr. "Oh my hair... you are one lucky guy, Creek. He is so... sooooo.. handsome. He is gonna get jumped if he comes here for sure. You better keep a close watch over this one. I mean I know pictures only give an impression, but if he is even close to being this handsome in person, ya, he's gonna get jumped for sure."

"Oh trust me DJ, he is beyond handsome. He's an angel, he has to be. He even has spiritual ability which he tries to hide from others. He is the pinnacle of perfection as far as I'm concerned." Creek snatches the picture again and hugs it close. "I can hardly wait for him to be here so I can hold him in my arms. I see what he means though about the separation being near unbearable. Its only been a few minutes since we spoke in the dreamscape and I miss him already." He lets out a deep sigh and turns to see Poppy heading his way.

"Hey Creek! Dad wants us to be able to leave within a few days. Did you have anything new happen?" She gawks and blushes bright red when Creek shows her the picture of Branch. "Oh my hair... what a total hottie. You are so freakin lucky, Creek. We really need to get him here with us though, him and his colony if possible. Dad has a destination in mind, but he's refusing to tell anyone where it is, even me. He said it was safer if only he knew, that way there was no chance of anyone being a spy and telling someone else of our destination.. like maybe, a spy for the Bergens and them revealing where we are going. We'd be caught in no time, so I can kinda see why dad would be so cautious."

"I agree Poppy. It is a very wise idea that he tells nobody. As for my soulmate here, his name is Branch. He's part of that colony 5 miles away thats been getting attacked daily. Apparently his leaders are planning to join us here, them and the colony. Branch has bad feelings about their spiritual leader though. He says they have a black aura which I don't have to tell you what that means. It's rather obvious what that aura stands for. As for Branch, he has spiritual ability he wants to keep hidden from too many people. He's worried that his spiritual leader or others may try to do him harm if they knew of his talents. I completely agree with him on that, to keep them hidden. If his spiritual leader really is up to no good, then the last thing Branch needs is to be found out about. He also mentioned he delivers medicine here. If that's the case, he might stop by a couple times before joining us to deliver some of it to us so theres less to move later. Personally I hope he does. Our supply is almost out and we have a few sick kids according to Doctor Saza."

"I hope he does too Creek. We might even get to meet him if thats the case and maybe even go back with him to help in transport of some of it." Poppy thinks for a moment about how they could do that where it wouldn't slow them down too much. "Backpacks would likely be the best way to transport some of it. Easier to carry and less clumsy."

"Agreed, Poppy. In the meantime, lets get busy with making sure everyone is packing and ready to go. We don't want to waste precious time." Creek puts the picture of Branch into his hair and darts away to help some of the orphan children to pack up what little they had.

...

Back in Branch's colony, Branch was dancing around in his bunker with a smile on his face. He really didn't wanna tell Parch about the meeting but knew that Parch would grill him for details. If anything, he could say all he managed to do was a verbal link up and a location of the other colony. He would have to make sure to hide the picture of Creek in his hair so nobody would find it but no big deal there. Yes, that would be perfect. The less Parch knew at this point, the better. He could even fib and say they needed medicine right away. This would give Branch a perfect chance to map out the route to the other colony and chart a safe path.

Heading topside again, he walks towards the edge of town, careful to keep his ears on high alert in case the Bergens had come back again. Hearing nothing, not even the other trolls of the colony, Branch started to get super worried. Granted it was getting late, but usually there was at least some sound, even if it was just crickets in the grass. The absolute void of silence chilled him to the bone, making him unsure if he should continue on or run back to his bunker and hide. A hand covers his mouth from behind, startling him and causing him to panic. "Shh Branch, it's okay." "Parch? You really should NOT do that." Branch turns on him hastily and smacks him with his hair. "Had you been anyone else, I would have strung you up by your entrails and left to drip dry." A thought crossed his mind after saying that of ' _Heck, I still might before this is over_ '. He gives Parch a dirty look for a moment and grumbles. 

"I'm gonna make a little trip away from town come morning. I was given a location during the dreamscape and they need medicine. I'm gonna go deliver it to them and chart a safe path for the colony to travel on at the same time." He glances at Parch to see the leader had something on his mind and rolls his eyes a moment.

"well, I am going with you then Branch. We'll leave around dawn so we can at least see where we are going. We'll make the trip there, deliver the medicine, talk to the leaders there if possible, and then come back here to get the others of the colony. I'll even help carry the medicine so you don't have to bear the full load of it. Oh and I'm not taking no for an answer." He tries to hide a smug look on his face, knowing full well what Branch was really up to and what else he was hiding, including his abilities. He also figured Branch had seen the dark aura he had, and as such, wanted to keep an extra close eye on him. He had basically made a deal with the devil and didn't want Branch or anyone else screwing up his plans.

"Fine, dawn then. You better be ready or I'm leaving without you. Keep in mind, I'm the survivalist here, not you. You wouldn't last an hour out there without me and you know that so make sure you aren't late." Branch grumbles to himself as he made his way back to his bunker, unaware of the sly and smug look on Parch's face.

"Soon Branch, soon you will be all mine and even your precious soulmate will be unable to take you from me." Parch smirks evil like and heads back to his pod for the night.

Down in the bunker, Branch sets up 2 backpacks worth of medicine's of various types, unsure of what all the other colony might need and wanting to look as prepared as he could. Unknown to him, Parch already knew he had lied about what had happened during the dreamscape but Branch's suspicions of the older male kept him on guard. He could sense the bad vibes coming off Parch and feared what might happen while they were on route between the 2 colonies.

Morning came quickly and Parch arrived early. He took one of the backpacks of medicine and carefully put it on his back while Branch put on the other one over his cloak. The trip to the other colony took roughly 2 hours seeing as how Branch was writing down the route as they went along and marking the path with ribbons on various plants or trees. They arrive at the edge of the other colony as the sun started to peek its way down into the valley, illuminating the colorful pods of the trolls who lived there. It was clear to Parch and Branch that the whole village was being packed up as quickly as possible. Many of the pods were already dismantled and being packed away safely for use again at a later date.

Poppy was at the edge of town herself when she spotted Parch and a concealed figure. She walks over to them to greet them. "Hey there. I'm so sorry, we're busy packing up, so I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience. We're prepping to leave here because of Bergen attacks."

Parch glances at her a moment. "No its quite fine. We actually came to deliver some medicine to you all. We heard you needed it. Plus we're from the colony 5 miles from you, the one thats been under constant attack. We were hoping to speak with your leaders about merging with you."

Poppy takes a look over at the hooded figure a moment and notices the same royal blue eyes as Creek's soulmate in the picture he drew. She grins slightly knowing it was him and then looks at Parch again. "Well, that would be me and my dad. I'm Princess Poppy. My dad King Peppy is actually back at our pod right now finishing up on packing. We can go speak with him now if you'd like. Oh and as for your friend here, medical pod is over at the base of the tree. In case he wants to know, Creek is actually over there right now helping the healers with the sick children. He's our spiritual guru here below spiritual leader River." She winks at Branch a moment seeing his eyes light up at the mention of Creek and leads a willing Parch towards the royal pod to see her father.

Branch gets the other backpack from Parch before he gets too far then heads towards the medical pod. He steps inside, seeing a bunch of sick children. He walks over and sets the medicine down which the doctors eagerly look through and thank him for before rushing to help the kids. Branch walks around a moment and then spots a familiar patch of blue and green hair and purple skin. "Creek...."

Creek turns hearing his name mentioned and locks eyes with Branch in that moment. "You're... actually here. Please tell me I'm not dreaming this."

"No Creek, you aren't dreaming." Branch walks up to him, runs a hand along Creek's cheek a moment, then latches on to the guru in a giant hug, one that was returned immediately. "This is only a short meeting Creek. I have to return to my colony as soon as Parch is done speaking with your leaders. We need to make sure everyone else is packed and ready to leave. I fear the worst though Creek. I'm not sure why, but I feel that the home I'll be returning to won't be the same as it was a couple hours ago. I might be returning to you alone next time."

Creek nods a moment before reluctantly letting go of Branch. "I understand. Just make sure to be safe and come back to me. We have so much to discuss, so much we can learn from each other, and I would hope we have all our lives to do that. I would hate to lose you now, especially since this is our first official meeting."

"I agree. Don't worry though. I will do everything I can to make sure I come back to you.. alive. Not sure the condition, but preferably alive. I just have a bad feeling about all this. Make sure everyone here is ready to leave upon my return. We won't have much time once I am back with you. I had a dream last night of a fight between me and Parch and a Bergen chasing us for days afterwards. Be careful here Creek and stay safe for me." He removes the facial cover for a moment and kisses Creek lightly before hearing some giggling sounds and turning to see DJ and a couple others of the snack pack standing there watching. They catch sight of his face and purr lightly before backing away when Creek gives them dirty looks. He puts the cover back into place and hugs Creek again before leaving. "I'll be back, I promise." He meets up with Parch outside and they start heading back towards their own colony.

\---  
Dun Dun Dunnnnnn lol Let me know what you think. My longest chapter yet lol


	6. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon returning to the colony, Branch learns of Parch's betrayal and his true intentions. In order to ensure Branch does not escape him, Parch attacks him and tries to claim him before Creek and the Snack Pack arrive to stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word of warning, this chapter will have a small amount of violence, blood, and attempted rape situations. You have been warned. Read at your own risk.

Poppy waits till Parch and Branch were out of view before turning to the Snack Pack and Creek. "I don't like that guy at all. I got bad vibes from him the entire time I was near him. You all need to follow him and Branch, just to make sure nothing bad happens to Branch. I might not be a spiritual type, but something about that guy creeps me out. Take the backpacks and follow, quickly but quietly. If he knows you're all following, then things will not turn out well. Try to avoid being captured and if possible, bring back as many as you can. If not, at least bring Branch back to us. I think all of us here would love to get to know him better."

Creek and the rest of the gang all nod. Each of them grabs a backpack, puts it on, then leaves in the same direction that Parch and Branch had gone.

On the way back, Branch couldn't help but feel uneasy about all this. Parch wasn't talking to him, wasn't making any moves to touch him or anything, but the vibes he was giving off was enough to make Branch debate on staying anywhere close to him. If it wasn't for Parch being older and stronger than him, he would attempt to make a run for it. However, he knew he couldn't. Any attempt on his part to lose Parch in the woods would result in a bad situation for him and he knew that. Besides, Parch was the bad person and Branch wasn't. He couldn't leave even his worst enemy out in the woods alone and undefended. Maybe he was just foolish to think there was still some good left in Parch, but he was still a troll, still a member of the same colony. He couldn't and wouldn't abandon a colony member. He could kill him though, or find a way to have him get eaten by something and make it look like an accident, but he was almost certain Parch would notice that too. It almost seemed that there was no way out of this for him. He really hoped he was wrong. His acute hearing could pick up the tell-tale sounds of someone following a ways behind them but they could also pick up the screams of his colony far up ahead too. "Oh no, not again."

He runs towards the edge of the colony and was quick to duck into some bushes near a tree. The Bergen chef was there again along with 10 of her lackeys. Pretty much every remaining troll in the village was shoved into cages, even the leaders. Parch strolls past Branch's hiding spot knowing full well where he was and calmly walks over to the Bergen chef. "Well, I see you got the last of them. Now to hold up your end of the deal Bergen. The one troll I mentioned to you about is not to be harmed. He is all mine."

The Bergen chef just sneers down at him. "Of course Parch, he's all yours. Keep in mind though, if you fail to claim him, you'll be my midday snack. You won't even live long enough to even consider running, let alone trying to do so." She watches in amusement when Branch rushes out of his hiding spot and puts Parch in a strangle hold with his hair looking like he wanted to rip the guys head off. Reaching down, she swipes at Branch, slicing open the side of his head with her nail, and knocking him against a tree. He falls to the ground unconscious from the double assault, his head bleeding where it had been sliced open but was concealed by the hood. "Well, now's your chance Parch. He's out cold and unable to fight you, so here's your chance to claim him."

Parch gives the chef a dirty look for a moment before walking over to the unconscious survivalist. He grabs the cloak and yanks it off of Branch leaving him revealed for everyone to see. He smirks down at his prize and carefully lifts him up, intending to claim him before anyone else showed up to ruin his chance. He leaves a trail of kisses down Branch's neck and exposed torso and slips a hand down lower, smirking when he notices the cringe that crosses Branch's face. "That soulmate of yours isn't here little one. You are all mine." He slides his hand underneath the fabric of Branch's pants, loving the silky smooth texture of his skin before proceeding to start the removal of both of their pants. His inattention to his surroundings prevent him from noticing Creek and the Snack Pack arriving just in time to see what Parch was trying to do to Branch.

Creek lets out a loud growl in his throat and attacks Parch, yanking him off of Branch and throws him a few feet away with his hair. "You stay away from my soulmate you snake. He is mine to claim and nobody else's." He peeks up at the amused look of the Bergen chef and clears his throat. "You can eat Parch if you want. Doesn't matter to me." He inches back quickly, grabs Branch, and drags him to safety in the shrubs nearby and out of the Bergen's view.

Parch had hit the ground rather hard and growls slightly. He looks around to notice Branch already gone and Creek and his friends nowhere in sight. He gulps and looks up at the Bergen chef who was leaning down to grab him. He knew he had failed and would now die a traitors death, in the belly of the devil he had made a deal with. He closes his eyes for the last time as the chef raises him to her mouth and engulfs him.

Down below, the Snack Pack watches the demise of the spiritual leader while cringing. They hoped they would never have to experience that for themselves. To be eaten was the worst death they could ever imagine. Turning towards Creek under the combined canopy of their hair, they notice him trying to tend to the gash on Branch's head. They all turn various shades of red or purple depending on their skin color when they look at the handsome male Creek was tending to. They had never known ANY MALE could be that good looking. They thought Creek was as good as it got, but apparently they had been mistaken.

Guy Diamond pulls some healing salve out of his satchel and passes it over to Creek. "Here, use this. It should help till we can either find a way to mend him properly or manage to get him back to our own colony."

Creek accepts the salve and gently dabs it over the injury, feeling bad every time Branch flinches from the contact. "Thanks Guy. I really hope this helps him even a little. I seriously can't believe that Parch tried to claim him like that. He flat out tried to rape Branch." He growls a moment looking furious. "If he hadn't been eaten, I would have killed him myself." He looks over Branch for any other injuries and notices several scrapes along his arms from where he had made contact with the tree and from Chef's nails. "We need to find a way to get out of here without those Bergen's catching us though."

Biggie glances around from between the strands of hair and notices the Bergen's leaving through the woods. He knew there was 11 of them total so he makes sure to count how many left. Once all 11 had left through the woods, he sighs slightly. "They all left. Theres a path though where they went, but not one they use. It looked like a well worn path that someone our size uses."

A slightly weakened soft voice speaks up.. "Bunker.. path..." The group looks over towards Branch who was starting to wake up a bit, holding his throbbing head and wondering what happened. "What the heck happened? My head is spinning." He tries to sit up only to fall back into Creek's arms again.

"Easy love, I have you. That Bergen chef knocked you out and that traitor Parch tried to rape you. We got here in time to stop him and lucky for all of us, Chef ate him. He's not going to hurt you ever again." Creek pulls Branch closer to him and runs a hand through Branch's hair to keep him calm. Branch was visibly shaking even while being held and clings to Creek the best he could. The rest of the group just gives them some space till Branch calms down again.

"Thanks for being here to save me. I was trying to think of ways to get away from him, but he was way stronger than me. My attempt to attack him apparently was futile. We need to get to my bunker though. I have medicine down there that you all can use at your colony, and I have a ton of other stuff I need to pack up."

"Our colony you mean, it's going to be yours now too Branch. Your colony is gone and you're all thats left, so our colony embraces you and adds you to its own." Creek smiles at him gently and helps him to stand up, careful to hold onto him so he doesn't fall. "Now, where is this bunker of yours? We need to get you packed up and ready to leave."

Branch leads the group to his bunker and they all spend the next 2 hours packing up everything they could carry. Most of the medicine was packed up along with most of the herbs and some of Branch's clothes and personal items. He stashes a few items in his hair for easier finding. Looking at the cloak he always had in the bunker as a spare and then at Creek, he realized he didn't really need it anymore. He tosses it aside and turns away from it as though to say it was gone, just like Parch, just like his colony, and just like every other bad memory in his life. It was time to start new with his soulmate and the new colony. A fresh start, new friends, and hopefully a long and happy life, free of troubles, and safe from the constant Bergen attacks. Once they go topside again, he looks at the bunker entrance one last time. "Goodbye...." He joins his new colony friends on the path back, hoping they had no other issues. The nagging feeling that this wasn't over though still weighed on the back of his mind, the part of his vision yet unfulfilled, the chase by the Bergens several days after the fight with Parch. This was the beginning of a long and dangerous road, one he was hoping to survive with all his new friends.


	7. Running from the Bergens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch joins the snack pack and heads back to their colony. They wind up getting a message along the way that the colony has already mobilized and needs to meet them somewhere else. Also, the Bergen chef returns suddenly and starts tracking them back towards their colony.

Branch couldn't believe what was going on. Not only was his colony gone and Parch dead, but he was now with his soulmate and the Snack Pack heading back towards their own colony. He was also removing the ribbons marking the path as they went along, just in case anyone was trying to track them. At least this way, they wouldn't be able to follow the brightly colored ribbons to the other colony. His new friends were actually curious about him and kept glancing his way but with him being shy, he kept looking away whenever he saw them looking. "Sorry, just trying to get these ribbons collected. Last thing we need is to be tracked."

The others just nod and help collect the ribbons as they go along. They were 30 minutes into their trip back when a beetle drops down in front of them with a letter from Poppy. Creek takes hold of the letter and looks it over. _Hey guys, we had to move the colony sooner than planned. We had a couple Bergens show up and needed to move. We're heading East towards the lake. Meet us there and tell nobody else, even if they claim to be from our colony. We'll see you soon._

Creek puts the letter into his pocket and looks at the rest of the group. "We need to head to the lake. We also must tell nobody else of our destination, even if they claim to be from our colony. Apparently our colony got attacked by Bergens while we were away the last few hours. We need to find a safe path to the lake and as quickly as possible."

Branch cringes a moment thinking about the ribbons on the path. "I think I might be to blame. I marked the path between our colonies so we could find our way to you when we were ready to leave. I didn't think the Bergens would actually find the ribbons and track it back to your colony. I am so sorry.. "

"It's okay Branch. I doubt you knew that they would do that. For all we know, Parch may have informed them of the colony location even before this time. Our main concern now is getting to the lake. It'll take us longer to reach it, but we need to move as quickly as possible." Creek walks over and hugs him a moment to reassure him that everything was okay. "We'll make it to them. Just have faith. I know it's hard right now, but we'll make it."

Branch just nods a moment saying nothing else and just follows the others on another path that led towards the lake. The beetle that had delivered the message buzzes away and back in the direction it had come from. Within a few moments of it leaving, heavy footsteps could be heard behind them, causing them all to panic a bit and take shelter in the taller trees. A couple of them get dangerously close to being grabbed while trying to escape. They look down at the scowling face of the Bergen chef. "You can run, but you can't get away from me forever trolls. I will get you and the rest of your colony, just like I did to his.." She points a long, thin finger right at Branch. "You, my handsome little escapee, will only evade me for so long. You will be my personal snack once I get my hands on you. Parch wanted me to spare you, but seeing how desired you are, I have to question if your good looks affects how happy it would make me to eat you." She licks her lips thinking about it, causing Branch to cringe and inch further up into the branches of the tree away from her. "You just wait, I will get you eventually." The chef smirks evil like for a moment before heading back in the direction of Bergen Town.

Branch curls up into a ball on the leaves he was sitting on, rocking gently and burying his head into his arms and legs, feeling absolutely terrified and not wanting to even move. Guy Diamond and the others try to comfort him the best they could but he didn't seem to respond to any of them. Even being held by Creek didn't seem to work which was surprising. "We won't let her get you Branch, we'll do everything we can to keep you safe from her."

Branch just looks up at Creek and shakes his head. "She's relentless Creek. She will get me eventually, it's just a matter of time. Hopefully it won't be for a long time, but we would need to be super careful."

Creek, slightly annoyed, pulls Branch to look at him and shakes his head. "She is not going to get you. Even if I have to sacrifice myself to keep you safe, I'll do it. She won't have you.. ever. I don't wanna hear that negative stuff from you again. We have to stay positive to stay alive. Got that?"

Branch looks at him slightly shocked that Creek would be that firm, but nods slightly. "I can't help it. I just lost everything I ever knew of. Granted now, I have you and the new colony, but it's gonna take time for me to adjust to all that. It's not something I can just adjust to in a matter of a few hours. I wish it was but we both know it takes time. I can't help but be depressed. Just please bear with me on this."

"I know love, I know. Just don't be so hard on yourself. None of this is your fault and we will get through this together. For now though, we have to keep moving. The longer we stay here, the more likely for us to be caught. Just a shame we don't have a faster method of travel, a method that won't eat us." Creek ponders that idea for a moment before glancing at the overly large moths just over their heads. "If those were strong enough, they would make the perfect transport, but I know their wings are too delicate to carry something as heavy as us."

Branch looks up and notices the moths and then glances down at the location they were in. "Maybe the Tokami can be of use to us. Normally they hunt us, but I helped one that was injured years ago and it grew up to be more of a pet to me than anything. It still lives in the local area. It's possible that it might be able to help us make the distance in a short time frame." He climbs down the tree to the ground before letting out a high pitched meow that had a chirping like sound like a bird (a call similar to that of a cheetah if it makes it easier).

Creek and the others of the Snack Pack cringe at the idea of the Tokami but then get curious when Branch mentions one of them was a pet. They squeak slightly when the cat appears close to Branch and licks him across the cheek before snuggling against him. Guy just shakes his head a moment. "Now that is just plain weird. Those cats usually make a meal out of us." He joins the others down on the ground and notices Branch climbing up the leg of the cat to settle on its back. The Tokami looks at the rest of them as though asking if they were getting on or just gonna stand there and gawk. The rest of them get on with the backpacks securely on their backs and latch on to the fur of the cat but not to the point of it hurting the cat. The cat takes off with all of them securely on its back and arrives at the lake within an hour, startling every other troll that was there waiting for them.

The colony of trolls, seeing the large cat, take shelter in some taller plants or under rocks before noticing Creek and the others jumping down from on top of it. Poppy was among the first to come out of hiding and look at the large cat and then the Snack Pack. "These cats usually eat us. How did you manage to be able to ride one?"

Branch comes around the side of the cat running his hand along the fur and looks at Poppy. "Lets just say, this cat is a pet to me." He chuckles when it licks him again and he sighs slightly. "Needless to say, it's very lovable and likes to lick me. Not even entirely sure why."

Poppy looks at Branch and turns red in the face. "Oh I could think of a reason why, but I'll behave.. for now. Anyways, welcome to our colony, but what happened and why are you alone?"

Branch glances over at Creek a moment and sighs. Creek just nods and walks over to Poppy to explain to her all of what happened since earlier that day when they left. Within a few minutes, Poppy nods and looks over at Branch with an understanding look. "Don't worry Branch, we'll make sure you get settled in once we know we're safe. It might be a while though but we'll manage somehow." Her ears perk up slightly as loud footsteps can be heard from a distance. "Bergens.. everyone take to the trees!" The colony scatters up into the nearby trees and Branch's pet even runs away. Creek grabs Branch and pulls him down into a rabbit hole at the roots of one of the trees and clamps a hand over Branch's mouth as the Bergen passes by their hiding place, both of them curious as to how the Bergen's knew to come this far in search of them. Branch pulls back from Creek a moment and looks at him curious, the unspoken question in his eyes on how the Bergens found them again. They needed to figure things out and soon.


	8. More Survivors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple more survivors from Branch's old colony makes themselves known, ones that unknowingly had led the Bergens right to them.

Branch tries peeking out of the rabbit hole they were in and glances around. The Bergens that had shown up were looking all around, searching for traces of the trolls that had tracked this far. To say the Chef was not pleased would be putting it lightly. Her grumbling about crying children and escapee's reaching even the ears of the trolls hiding above her in the trees. He peeks over towards some slightly movement in the shrubs to their left and sees hints of blue, green, and gold, colors typically only seen on trolls. He knew they couldn't be from Creek's colony members though, they were up in the trees instead of down on the ground. He tries getting a better look but then ducks back in the hole as the Chef stomps past his hiding spot and makes her way back towards the West and Bergentown.

Once everyone was sure the Bergens had left, they come out of hiding. Branch inches over towards the shrubs hearing some faint crying and noticing the same colors as before. Before he could react too much, two trollings no older than 2 years old run out of the shrubs and attach themselves to his legs, seeking comfort from him as they knew he could provide. Another troll, jade green in color with mint green hair, comes out of the shrubs as well. He was no taller than Smidge and had the same length hair as Smidge as well.

"Jadice, you and these two kids actually survived? How did you ever find us?" Branch glances at Jadice noticing multiple gashes on his head and arms and dried blood in random spots. Jadice just grins slightly but obviously in pain. "We went in the same direction as you. I only managed to save those two kids. I couldn't save the others. Trust me Branch, I tried. I think the kids crying is what allowed the Bergens to track us. Please believe me when I tell you it was not intentional. I would never betray my colony or any other colony." He collapses after a few moments onto his knees, several of the other trolls immediately going to his aid.

"It's okay Jadice, I believe you. We will have to keep moving though as soon as everyone is able to." He glances down at the two orphans who were giving him sad looks and looking like they wanted a hug. He sighs slightly and picks them both up, holding them close to him as though they were his own. The two orphans automatically latch on to him and snuggle into him, not wanting to lose the comfort that he was providing them. "I really have no idea how to handle a kid, let alone two of them."

Creek chuckles slightly seeing his dilemma. "Well, it would be good practice in case you ever wanted a trolling of your own to raise. Besides, these two are already at least a couple years old right? Should be easier to manage... maybe." He looks over at the faces of several parents who give him looks like asking where his brain had gone with that assumption. "Okay.. or not. Should be interesting practice though right?"

Branch groans hearing that and notices Jadice almost nose to nose with Smidge and both with an interesting shade of red to their faces. He snickers and turns away from the lovestruck pair. "Ya, interesting practice indeed." He glances down at the two kids again and shakes his head, seeing the state in which their clothes were in. He manages to set the two kids down and grabs his measuring tape from his hair and a notepad and gets measurements really fast on the two kids.

"We're gonna have a ton of work to do Creek. You better be ready for this too because I am NOT raising them alone." Branch gives him a stern look earning a small yelp and a fast nod from Creek.

As they get underway again, Branch was settled in one of the carts being hauled along, the two trollings beside him in it. He was busy making new outfits for the two kids and trying to make sure he did it right. He made his own clothes but making clothes for kids was way tougher. He glances behind him at the direction they were going and notices they had reached a high plateau, one that overlooked a huge expanse of wide open land, lush flower fields, a huge lake with an island in the middle off in the distance, and what looked to be a couple excavated areas, likely belonging to other troll colonies. It would take them weeks of travel to reach the closest of those, in which time they all hoped would be uneventful and safe from the Bergens.

\---  
boop.. short but to the point :)


	9. The Long Haul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls start crossing the vast expanse towards the island in the lake.

"That is going to take a long time to cross. Goodness knows what animals or other creatures lurk in the space between us and that island out there." Branch sighs and looks over at Princess Poppy a moment and shakes his head. "We need to make sure everyone stays together. It would be way too easy to lose someone between here and there."

Poppy just nods and looks at the distance ahead. "That will literally take us weeks to travel. It might look close, but I can guarantee it's not. We need to keep an ear open for any sounds of the Bergens following us too. I'm usually not so paranoid, but I am now. Too much has happened in a short amount of time for me to not be at least a little paranoid about being attacked again." She glances at the two trollings that seemed to cling to Branch like their lives depended on it. The small golden girl seemed inclined to curl up in Branch's hair, a fact that he wasn't overly thrilled with considering how thick his hair was. It was too easy for the little girl to get stuck in there and start yanking at his head. The other trolling, a small light blue boy, seemed more intent on keeping his little chubby arms wrapped around part of Branch's leg. The sight of this made Poppy giggle slightly. "You have your hands full with those two. I've never seen kids take to an adult that wasn't their parents quite as quickly as these two have to you."

Branch groans and nods slightly, already feeling the start of a headache from the girl pulling at his head. "If this is what it's like to have kids, I really don't want one any time soon." The tone of his voice suggested that he might change his mind about it, but for now, he was set on it. "Anyways, I think it might be an idea for us all to get some rest before we start attempting to cross that region. We have no idea what's in store for us down there. As it is, the journey down this ridge is gonna be tough enough, especially for the kids." He sits down with Poppy and makes some plans for a couple hours on how they were going to handle the trip down to the valley below. It would take at least a day of travel just to reach the valley below and that's only if they didn't have any issues along the way.

That night, all the trolls slept in the taller trees, finding holes big enough to take refuge in. Branch crawled into a smaller hole, completely exhausted. The two trollings curled up in his hair together, huddling together to keep warm. Creek curls up alongside Branch and curls an arm around him to keep him safe and to make sure nothing bad happened to him. The very next morning, everyone was up early. Footprints on the ground from Bergens was the first thing they noticed. They quickly pack up and head towards the slope leading down towards the valley. The Bergens were too big and too clumsy to make their way down the path, so for the most part, the trolls were safe... or were they? Little did they know of the untold dangers that awaited them, dangers that would test the colony as a whole and test friendships. Their journey was only just beginning and they had a long way to go.

\---  
making this one short as I have bigger plans for the next chapter as soon as I get time to type it up.


	10. Journey through the misty valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls make their way down to the valley below and start towards the far distant lake and island. During the trip through the valley, the bond between Creek and Branch gets stronger than ever, proving they were indeed meant for each other. Upon talking with spiritual leader River, Branch learns something he did not expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to have some small blood situations, trolls being eaten, and others being severely injured along the way.

As predicted, once the trolls started heading down towards the valley, it took them the better part of the day to reach the bottom. It was sunrise when they started and nearing sunset when they reached the bottom. Looking up at where they had just been, they could see the Bergens at the peek, throwing fits about not being able to go down the same way the trolls had. For now, the trolls were safe from the Bergens, but the dangers of the unknown valley still lay ahead of them. Now that they were down here, they could see how many issues they would have to face. Even the ever so optimistic Princess Poppy was stunned by the sight in front of them, making her question how many would be lost along the way. She decides, in the best interest of everyone, to address them all same time before they started heading through the valley.

"Alright everyone, we can not go into the valley tonight. We will wait till morning before we begin. For safety reasons, we will never travel alone during this journey. Always travel in pairs or in groups. Make sure everyone else is in sight or at least in hearing range. If you find yourself alone and unable to find anyone, then do your best to retrace your steps and find your way back to the group. There is a very big chance that we will lose some of our colony along the way, but I would hope we keep casualties to a minimum. We have a very long ways to go to get through this valley, very likely at least a couple weeks or more. We must support each other during this time. Nobody is to leave the group for any reason during the night. If you want alone time with your significant other, then at least make sure you are still within visual range or hearing range of the colony. I know some of us only just recently found a potential mate and would like some alone time, but considering how dangerous this trip will be, please try to avoid going too far away. We'll rest for the night and start through the valley at first light. Get those fires started up and find a place to rest. Apparently there are some caves down here at the base of the cliff, so make use of them but be cautious regardless."

The other trolls all nod in agreement and choose caves to sleep in for the night. They get fires going and notice various insects and spiders in the caves, some dangerous, and others not so much. The more dangerous insects were chased away by the trolls. All the trollings except for the two that Branch was caring for were all kept together in one cave. There was only 10 of them other than the 2 with Branch, but they still had to make sure to keep the kids together for protection. As night settled in, the trolls all bedded down and waited for the sun to come back the next morning.

The next morning made it obvious the conditions the trolls would have to endure their entire time through the valley. The foliage and canopy were so thick above them, it gave the entire valley an eerie gloom like appearance. There was also a heavy mist that hovered only 3 feet above the ground, making visibility even more limited. Upon getting everyone together, it was already discovered that 2 of their colony was missing, pieces of ripped fabric and puddles of blood being all that remained of the 2 missing trolls. Whatever had gotten them had been silent and very deadly, giving the remaining trolls a feeling of dread. Nobody had heard them scream, so they figured the two trolls had been asleep when they were taken. 

As they began their way through the valley, they began to realize just how dangerous this was going to be. It was only the first day of their trip through the valley and already had lost 2 of their colony, goodness knows how many more would be missing by the end of the day. Various plants they easily recognized and others they had no idea about. One of the plants they encountered within the first hour could change its colors to attract its food. Once it attracted the food close enough, it spit acid at its victim and melted them down into a goo then absorbed it through a long tubule that was connected to the center of the plant. All this happened within seconds and was so fast, the victim never knew what had happened. Branch got lucky and was able to spot one and saw what it did to a large butterfly, thus allowing him to warn the rest of the colony about the plants and what to look for. He also made sure to write it down in his survivalists guidebook so anyone reading it would know about it and what it was capable of.

Another day gone, and luckily had lost nobody else. That was bound to change though before too long. Leader River couldn't help but notice the talents that Branch had and decided now was as good a time as any to talk to him. "Hey Branch, I haven't had the chance to talk to you till now, but I was wondering if you had time to answer a few questions for me?" Branch just glances over at him for a moment and nods. "Of course. What would you like to know?" River smiles slightly and looks at Branch a little more closely, seeing the radiant aura the other had. "I see amazing spiritual power in you, but how many of your colony remain with spiritual ability?" Branch shakes his head and looks up at him. "After the death of leader Parch, I am the only remaining spiritual troll from my colony. Considering I hid my talent, I didn't have any kind of position like a guru or anything like that." "Well Branch, in that case, I'm sure even Princess Poppy would agree, that makes you a spiritual leader. Being the last spiritual troll of your colony, regardless of having a position or not, with the death of your leader, you are now a leader yourself."

Poppy, having heard most of the conversation and hearing her name mentioned, comes over and nods to Branch. "He's right Branch. With your leader Parch gone, you are now a leader yourself. As Princess, I am making it official that you Branch, are now a spiritual leader. With that position comes the responsibility of ensuring that anyone who wishes to learn these skills are taught to the best of your own ability. If you should need help, leader River will be here to help you. If for any reason he is unable to help you, then you can use whatever means necessary to accomplish your goal."

Branch just nods a moment, not even sure what to make of the situation. He notices several others nearby who had heard all that and they were nodding to him politely with his new position, including Creek. Seeing as how Creek was only a guru and not an actual leader, Branch was now above him in position, something that Branch was worried would put a wedge between him and his soulmate. He was going to have to do something about that.

Over the course of the next few days, the colony lost another 4 trolls to some of the dangers of the valley, dangers none of them had expected at all. During one of those nights, Branch asked the trolls watching over the kids if they could watch over the 2 trollings he had with him, a task they gladly accepted to do. With the two trollings tended to, Branch finds a hollowed out tree close to the colony and drags Creek into it when it started getting dark. There were no occupants and Branch had already cleaned out the spiderwebs that had been inside it. He used a large leaf to cover up the entry way, turned to the guru, and pounced on him eliciting a surprised squeak from Creek in the process. He was tired of waiting and wanted to have a little fun with his soulmate. From outside the tree, the whimpers and stifled moans from the two inside kept everyone else away, knowing full well what was taking place in there. Poppy heard the noise as well and blushes bright red and shakes her head, making sure that nobody bothered the two spiritual trolls during their intimate moment.

By the next morning, Creek stumbles away from the tree, searching for his comb to fix his disheveled hair and trying to hide the bright red flush of his cheeks. Branch wasn't too far behind, not showing any signs of anything out of place and trying to hide a very satisfied smirk. It made onlookers question who had been the submissive during the night, but nobody dared to ask. They pack up and once more begin their journey through the valley, eager to reach the other side before too many other trolls were lost.

\---  
TADA!! Had to get a naughty scene in there somewhere and since I am no good at lemons, you can let your imaginations do the work lol :)


	11. The valley of flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls reach the end of the misty valley only to find themselves in a huge field of flowers which stretches out several miles. Thankfully, the smell the flowers emit repels the Bergen's which have found their way down into the valley during their hunt for the colony of trolls.

It took longer than expected for the trolls to reach the other side of the Misty Valley, 2 weeks longer. In that amount of time, several new pairs of trolls found out they were with pod, a thought which scared them considering the circumstances they had found themselves in. Less than a week prior, they had heard the tell-tale sounds of Bergens stomping through the valley behind them. If it wasn't for the thick mist, they likely would have been unable to evade the Bergens for as long as they did. Another thing to be thankful for was that there had been no further loss of life among the colony of trolls. The unexpected situation of 6 different trolls being pregnant made them very nervous. They knew without a doubt that this would slow them down and hinder their progress towards the far distant island in the lake. Smidge had paired up with Jadice and was among the trolls that was already with pod, which surprised many. For Smidge, it wasn't that big a deal, having found out the day she met Jadice that they were soul mates. Several other trolls joined Smidge in the new pregnancy circle and noticed they were short one member. They knew there was one more, but they hadn't been told who it was. Turning around, their jaws dropped as they came face to face with Creek, who had a slightly smug look on his face and was patting his stomach which was already pretty well extended. For any troll to be that far along meant that it was more than just a single trolling.

Creek chuckles seeing the shocked looks of Smidge and the others. "What? Didn't think I would be the submissive partner did you? Go figure, I think this might be twins.. or more. I hope someone can help me here, since I know nothing about raising kids." They just give him more of a shocked look before shaking themselves out of it when they notice the view ahead of them. Creek turns to see what they were looking at and notices the massive field of flowers ahead of them. "Oh my, we are in for a major trek through there." He tries using his spiritual sense to get an idea of what lay ahead, only to have a thick shroud covering his senses, almost like a blanket would cover his body. Whatever was in there was being concealed by something. The smell alone was pleasant enough but being unable to sense what lay within the vast field of flowers sent chills up his spine. He glances at the others nervously and shakes his head when they give him questioning looks. "I can't sense anything from in there. It's shrouded in some kind of mist or something. I'm not entirely sure. We better stick with the colony through there. We don't wanna risk getting separated."

The others just nod to him and join him in returning to the other colony members. Most of them don't even look surprised at Smidge and the others being with pod already but one look at Creek and their jaws hit the ground, seeing very clearly just how big in the belly he already was. They turn and give Branch a look who was trying to act all innocent like before looking at Creek again like he had completely lost his mind by turning submissive. They shake their heads before gathering together again and looking towards the massive field of flowers ahead. Creek wanders over to Poppy and King Peppy and warns them of what his senses had told him.. or rather not told him. He didn't want them going in there like it was nothing more than flowers.

Branch wanders over and circles his arms around Creek before looking at the extended belly and getting super curious. His own spiritual senses told him that there was more than just a single baby in there, possibly 2 or 3. He tries to sense the auras of them but felt the same oppressive shroud covering his own senses that Creek had when he tried checking the field. "Something is very wrong here. Our senses don't work Creek. I can't sense your aura or anyone else's. It's like it's being shrouded and I honestly have no idea why."

Creek just nods to him a moment. "I know. I tried scanning the flower field before coming over here and I felt an oppressive shroud of some kind over my senses. I noticed you tried checking me and the pod I carry but I can assure you, it's more than just 1 child there. I have to question, is your family known for having twins or more?"

Branch shuffles nervously a moment before nodding. "We're known for triplets actually. I was a triplet.. and my siblings died soon after birth. My mother was a triplet as was her mother before her. Dad's side of the family was more known for twins as he was a twin and so was his father. Not even sure how they came to be together, but any kids they had were bound to be either twins or triplets. My siblings who died, they were born with a rare genetic defect and it ended their life prematurely. I had the same defect but I was lucky and managed to survive. I just hope any kids of mine don't have the same defect. It was a rare heart defect that caused it to beat really fast or almost not at all. For my siblings, they died in their sleep when their hearts slowed so much that they stopped. I was almost the same way but was given some form of herb that was found in the wilderness. It helped save my life and made me who I am today. Something about the herb not only helped heal my heart condition but also made me super smart and inventive, qualities neither of my parents had."

Creek smiles gently and hugs Branch. "It's alright love, I understand, and I'm totally here for you. With your handsome looks and brains and spiritual ability combined with mine, I'm sure our trollings will be just as strong as you, if not more so. I know without a doubt that you will make an excellent parent. Me on the other hand, I know nothing about raising kids, so in a way it's a good thing we have been helping those 2 orphans. It's giving us good practice. I can hardly wait though for ours to be born. I am so looking forward to seeing what they look like. Not to mention everyone else is looking at me weird. I guess they didn't expect me to be the submissive partner."

Branch smirks all devious like a moment and shakes his head. "Well, you weren't complaining that night." He laughs slightly when Creek just blushes bright red."Plus the idea I enjoyed hearing you scream out my name, regardless of you trying to muffle it with your hair so others didn't hear you." He hugs Creek gently when the guru turns an interesting shade of purplish-red. "We have a long ways to go yet, but know this, I will always be here with you unless some force of nature rips us apart. I will never leave you or our children, no matter what. We're in this together Creek, and I won't back out of this binding. We are now complete mates and nothing but death can tear us apart."

They turn towards the other trolls as the rest of the colony approaches and then turn towards the field of flowers before them. The Bergens they had heard behind them had left, apparently repelled by the smell the flowers emitted, leaving the trolls to travel the field alone and whatever may lay within its leafy depths. Their journey was far from over and to make it through to the island, they would all need to stick together and rely on each other more than ever. They grab their packs and the kids and start their way into the large field of flowers.

___  
whoop... sorry for late chapter. my brain was uncooperative lol


	12. Entering Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What dangers await inside the flower field? And what will happen to the Bergen's relentlessly pursuing our precious Troll colony? Read to find out :)

The trolls carefully enter the field, making sure to stick together as they do so. The sounds off in the distance behind them indicate the Bergen's weren't too far away. The older trolls, upon entering the field, seemed to get slightly confused and disoriented. They try to stick close to the colony though so as to avoid being separated. The blooms above them were letting off a very pleasant aroma, but like most situations, things are not always as they seem. The flowers, by releasing this sweet scent, were lulling the trolls into a false sense of security. The shroud the aroma put over their senses was another thing they were curious about, but for some odd reason, they couldn't come up with any ideas on why they felt paranoid and anxious.

Branch sticks close to Creek while they were going through the flower field, making sure that his mate and their unborn pod would be safe. He was sketching out the details of the flowers he could see, but since he couldn't see the blooms themselves, he had no way of knowing right away what kind of flowers they were dealing with. The tell-tale stomping of the Bergen's coming towards the field were making the trolls more antsy than normal. Several of the trolls were showing signs of drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. Some of them were even asking why they were here, not even really remembering what had brought them in this direction to begin with. Sounds from the Bergen's behind indicated either they were trying to avoid obstacles or they were fighting amongst themselves. Personally, the trolls were hoping the Bergen's were killing themselves so they wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

Further into the field, Branch finally manages to get a look at one of the flower blooms and goes very pale. He sketches it out in his pad and writes down with it the effects the flowers were having on the trolls and compares it to information he knew about from previous encounters. Seeing the same issues, he walks over towards King Peppy and Princess Poppy. "We have a problem. I got to see the bloom on one of the these flowers. They're known as Passion Flowers. They cause confusion, drowsiness, and dizziness and in the case of spiritual trolls, they shroud the senses and don't allow us to use our talents. They can also cause mass paranoia and hallucinations in extreme cases. We need to get through this field as quickly as possible."

Peppy and Poppy glance at each other a moment then back at Branch and nod. Peppy glances at the colony with them and notices some of them showing the effects mentioned. "We really do need to get out of here quickly. The Bergen's aren't far behind us either, or at least they weren't. I don't hear them now. Kinda hoping they were affected by the flowers in the same way as us or in more extreme cases, like maybe that they slaughtered each other. At the very least, I hope they gave up on following us. We really need to keep moving though. The sooner we get through this field, the better I'll feel."

Branch nods a moment to that and rejoins Creek not too far away and informs him of what had been said. "We need to hurry and get through this field. I really don't wanna be in here any longer than necessary." He turns to the colony members and informs them of the issue with the flowers and tells them they needed to hurry and get through the field as quickly as possible. Nodding in agreement, the trolls start increasing their pace, some of them already freaking out enough that others around them had to cocoon them in their hair just to control them from hurting themselves or anyone around them. They head towards what they felt was the far edge of the field, each step forward more and more difficult as the smell of the flowers increased the closer they got to the other side of the field.

...  
Short chapter. Wanted to update this really quick and leaving a note here.  
Passion Flower is a real flower. The real side effects do include drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-871/passionflower) (look under 3rd tab labeled side effects) It can be used for other things, but the side effects of it were the part I wanted to use for this story. :)


	13. The field ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trolls finally make it to the other end of the field just to find themselves already at the edge of the lake.

It was 2 days before the trolls could see an end in sight. They were weary, paranoid, and some were seriously debating on running away screaming. The aroma that the flowers was giving off was driving them crazy. Even the usually calm Creek was having issues. If Branch wasn't right there with him, he likely would have done something unthinkable. They could finally see the edge of the field and thanks to that, they finally started getting their heads cleared and looked forward to what lay ahead.

Some of the trolls started running towards the edge, momentarily vanishing from view before audible squeaks of surprise from up ahead made the other trolls question what had happened. It took them a little time before they reached the edge only to see why the others had squeaked. No sooner did they reach the edge of the field and the lake was literally right there within 3 feet of the edge of the field. A couple of the trolls who had run ahead almost fell in the water. Upon closer inspection, it appeared the edge of the water was very shallow, shallow enough that even the trolls would have had no issues had they fallen in. A foot or two out though was another story where the water visibly darkened to show how much deeper it was. The island out in the middle of the lake was now very visible and looked massive. There was a small forest on it from what they could see and a really massive tree, larger than even the Troll Tree back in Bergentown. It would make the perfect home, if they could just find a way to cross the lake without dying.

It took a few days for the trolls to gather enough materials to create a large boat to cross the lake with. Branch helped with its construction along with several others, making sure it was water tight and wouldn't leak during transit across the water. They found that the flowers had a very strong sap running through their stems that could easily be used as a sealant for the boat to prevent water leakage. It was difficult to get off their hands though once it was on them. It took a couple hours to completely clean the sap off their hands after it was applied to the boat.

One of the elderly trolls decided to test out the boat first since she knew how to swim. She paddles out a ways into the darker, deeper water and sits there a while, carefully going over every inch of the boat to check for leaks. After 2 hours of sitting there and finding no issues, she comes back towards the shore line and starts taking some of the trolls onto the boat to take to the island. It took the better part of 6 hours to transfer all the trolls across the lake to the island. The trolls start looking around at their new surroundings and start finding ways to climb the massive tree. It had mushrooms that acted like a staircase that spiraled around the tree all the way towards the upper branches. The branches themselves were sturdy and strong, perfect for building their new homes on. From the higher elevation, they could see everywhere around them, both on the island and the surrounding lake and areas they had just been in. Looking towards the flower field, they could make out what appeared to be the bodies of Bergen's, unmoving and covered by dark patches of color. They assumed them to be dead, driven mad by the smell the flowers had given off. Scavenger birds were already circling the bodies, preparing to make short work of them.

Within 3 months of their arrival on the island, they had built their new homes and were now awaiting the arrival of the new trollings. Smidge was the first to have her baby, a cute little mint green baby girl with blue hair. Her birth was the first of the group, followed soon after by several others who also had daughters. Creek however, was a bit behind them. He was breathing heavy and having a hard time walking around at that point but was eager to bring his pod into the world. Within a couple days after the other trollings had been born, Creek finally started having contractions to have his own. The doctor went in his pod and insisted everyone except Branch was to stay out until they said it was fine. Roughly an hour later, cries could be heard inside the pod. Those waiting outside were eager to see what they assumed was only twins. When allowed inside, they were all shocked to see 3 trollings rather than 2, one of which looked just like Branch but way smaller. There was 2 girls and 1 boy, one girl looking very similar to Creek including the little hair flip and 2 toned color.

With the trolls safe, the Bergen's gone, and a new life being built, the trolls were finally home. Creek and Branch take over as the spiritual leaders of the colony and start the long process of making sure the colony remains safe.

200 years later, the story was being told of their ancestors journey to the island, told to the younger trollings by a teal skinned, royal blue haired male troll who looked remarkably like Branch. His own mate looked identical to Creek from so long ago as well. Their names were Sky and River and like their ancestors, were spiritual leaders to the colony. The story of the journey to their island home would be told for many generations yet to come and they all lived in perfect harmony.

....  
leaving this the end. I hope you enjoyed. :)


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